Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Bonnie Isaac

Collection Manager, Botany

Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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About

Biography

Bonnie Isaac is the collection manager for the Section of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. She manages the museum's herbarium, which ranks among the top 25 herbaria in North America.

Isaac received her MS in biological sciences from Youngstown State University in 2000. She was awarded the International Diploma in Herbarium Techniques from The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England in 1988. Isaac completed her BS in biological sciences with an emphasis in plant sciences from Youngstown State University in 1987.

Isaac is the president of the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania and an adjunct research scientist for the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a past chair of the Pennsylvania Vascular Plant Technical Committee and past recording secretary for the Pennsylvania Rare Plant Forum.

Isaac focuses on the ecology and phytogeography of rare plants, floristics, and herbarium techniques. Her research established that a plant once thought to be in danger of extinction in Pennsylvania, Prenanthes crepidinea, was actually thriving, allowing the plant to be removed from the state’s endangered species list. Other states with populations of Prenanthes crepidinea, a member of the dandelion family commonly called rattlesnake-root, have since worked with Isaac to determine the status of the plant in their regions.

Recent Blog Posts

  • Pennsylvania Botany 2018

    Pennsylvania Botany 2018

    by Bonnie Isaac Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) was well represented at PA Botany 2018. The 4th Biennial Pennsylvania Botany Symposium took place on November 2nd and 3rd at the Penn Stater …Read More »
  • New England Aster – Aren’t you glad you Aster?

    New England Aster – Aren’t you glad you Aster?

    by Bonnie Isaac Fall is typically the time of year when we think plants are getting ready for winter. Think of trees changing colors and losing their leaves. Actually, some plants are just …Read More »
  • Hidden Treasure of Pittsburgh Found

    Hidden Treasure of Pittsburgh Found

    by Bonnie Isaac Recently I received a call from a woman who had bought an estate and discovered a hidden treasure in the basement. The basement contained 28 boxes of herbarium specimens. These …Read More »

Publications

Publications

Heberling, J.M. & Isaac, B.L. (2017) Herbarium specimens as exaptations: new uses for old collections. American Journal of Botany 104(7): 963-965. [online - open access] [Appendix S1 - Unanticipated uses of herbarium specimens with bibliography]

Isaac, B.L. 2010. A Phytogeographical and Ecological Study of Prenanthes crepidinea Michaux (Asteraceae). Annals of Carnegie Museum 78(4): 325-336.

Grund, S.P. & B.L. Isaac. 2007. Taxonomy and Lectotypification of Appalachian Blue Violet. Castanea 72:58-61.

Coxe, R., M.J. Haywood, C.M. Morton, B.L. Isaac & J.A. Isaac. 2005. Checklist of the vascular plants of Greene County, Pennsylvania. Sida 21(3):1829-1859.

Isaac, B., C.M. Morton, J. Kartesz and J. Isaac. 2005. Additions to and noteworthy records for the vascular flora of Pennsylvania. Castanea 70(1): 70-73.

Isaac, B.L., C.F. Chuey & J.A. Isaac. 2004. The Genus Ophioglossum in Pennsylvania. Bartonia 62:45-54.

Morton, C.M., J. Kartesz, B. Isaac and R. Coxe. 2004. Additions to and noteworthy records for the vascular flora of West Virginia. Sida 21(1): 481-485.

Isaac, B.L. 2000. A phytogeographical and ecological study of Prenanthes crepidinea (Asteraceae). MS Thesis, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH.

Isaac, B.L. and J.A. Isaac. 2000. Herbarium and field studies of Pennsylvania plants of special concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Botany & Natural Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Thompson, S.A., B.L. Isaac and F.H. Utech. 1999. Herbarium and field studies of Pennsylvania plants of special concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Botany & Natural Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Thompson, S.A., B.L. Isaac and F.H. Utech. 1998. Herbarium and field studies of Pennsylvania plants of special concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Botany & Natural Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Isaac, B.L. and J.A. Isaac. 1997. Noteworthy Collections: Pennsylvania. Castanea 62:131-132.

Chuey, C.F. and B.L. Isaac. 1996. The Asteraceae of Ohio - Missed records. The Michigan Botanist 35 (3 & 4): 115-118.

Thompson, S.A. and B.L. Isaac. 1996. Herbarium and Field Studies of Pennsylvania Plants of Special Concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Botany & Natural Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Thompson, S.A. and B.L. Isaac. 1995. Herbarium Studies of Pennsylvania Plants of Special Concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Environmental Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Isaac, B.L. 1994. [Review] New Jersey Ferns and Fern Allies. Annals of Carnegie Museum 63:263.

Thompson, S.A. and B.L. Isaac. 1994. Herbarium Studies of Pennsylvania Plants of Special Concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Environmental Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Thompson, S.A. and B.L. Isaac. 1993. Final Report to the Wild Resource Botany Fund; Herbarium Studies of Pennsylvania Plants of Special Concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Environmental Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Thompson, S.A. and B.L. Isaac. 1993. Progress Report to the Wild Resource Botany Fund; Herbarium Studies of Pennsylvania Plants of Special Concern. Submitted by Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Harrisburg, PA: Dept. of Environmental Resources, Wild Resource Botany Fund.

Isaac, B. and C.F. Chuey. 1992. Distribution of the Pteridophyte Flora of Brooke County, West Virginia by District. Laitsch, No. 5: 3-6.

Isaac, B. and C.F. Chuey. 1992. Pteridophyte Flora of Forest County, Pennsylvania by Township. Laitsch, No. 5: 7-11.